Chapter 256 232: Dispelling Doubts

Gao Xinhua, feeling both amused and helpless, said, "Nothing happened? How could nothing have happened! This time it's caught the attention of the city."Chen Xing'an replied, "The city should indeed pay close attention to the issues in Changxing."

At this moment, Vice Dean Yuan Peiqiang also approached with a few assistants. Upon seeing them, Yuan Peiqiang proactively greeted Chen Xing'an, "Secretary Chen!"

Chen Xing'an responded perfunctorily with a nod, "You arrived just in time."

In his heart, he looked down on these mercenaries, just helpers hired by private entrepreneurs, who had blatantly infiltrated Changxing because of the public-private partnership. What vice dean? Without capital to carry you, what kind of vice dean are you? Just a dog kept by the capitalists.

Yuan Peiqiang said, "I was just inspecting the High-Tech Zone..."

"What's there to inspect on a piece of empty land? You guys chat, I'm handling party and government work alone, yet it seems you vice deans are busier than me."

Yuan Peiqiang felt full of disdain in his heart; aren't you just a slick old bureaucrat? What contributions have you made to Changxing?

Chen Xing'an asked Gao Xinhua, "Where is Dean Zhao? With such a big incident at the hospital, isn't he coming back to resolve it?"

Everyone noticed the change in Chen Xing'an.

Zhao Feiyang was actually already at the hospital entrance, but he changed his mind. The event had already happened, and rushing to the scene now was meaningless. The most important thing was to explain to the superior leaders.

He could imagine that the overseeing leaders were undoubtedly displeased at this moment. The negative impact caused by today's protests at Changxing would last a long time.

Zhao Feiyang realized that signing the contract could not be delayed any longer. If the situation continued to develop like this, there would just be more and more obstacles. He had to make decisive decisions to address the employees' concerns. He must quickly sign the contract to solidify the cooperation and prove his integrity to everyone.

Former Dean Gu Houyi also saw the news of internal protests at Changxing, which made him anxious. In his eyes, Changxing was like a daughter about to get married, with an uncertain future. Yet, he, the former head of the family, had been removed; he could only worry without any say.

Gu Houyi often wondered if he were still at Changxing, would he make the same choices as Zhao Feiyang? At least he and Zhao Feiyang agreed on one point: Changxing needed reform. But he wouldn't be as aggressive as Zhao Feiyang.

Even though Gu Houyi constantly reminded himself not to care about Changxing's matters, he couldn't control himself. Every time he passed by, he couldn't resist glancing at Changxing's hospital building.

The renovation of Kangjian was about to be completed, but Xu Changshan, who had agreed to cooperate with the wellness club, suddenly changed his mind, politely declining Gu Houyi's invitation using health as an excuse.

Gu Houyi had been frequently interacting with Xu Changshan recently; he still wanted to meet Mr. Xu to find out why he changed his mind.

Due to the community clinic opening nearby, Huichun Hall's business became increasingly quiet. When Gu Houyi arrived, Xu Changshan was feeding fish in the backyard.

Looking at the koi swimming back and forth in the pond, Xu Changshan revealed a knowing smile. The maple leaves in the yard were turning red, and the pond reflected the sky, appearing as if white clouds were floating in the water, and the colorful koi were swimming amidst the clouds.

The autumn wind blew, a maple leaf drifted into the pond, like a small boat paddling into the sky and water. In a trance, one couldn't tell if it was the clouds in the water or the fish in the clouds.

Gu Houyi praised, "The fish are really well-kept."

Xu Changshan smiled, "Sometimes, it feels like the fish live more freely than people."

Gu Houyi said, "I wouldn't call it freedom, right?" In his view, no matter how well these fish were kept, they could only live in this small pond. Everything in the world yearns for freedom, and fish are no exception.

Xu Changshan guessed what Gu Houyi wanted to say and replied calmly, "Actually, who in the world can truly talk about freedom? Most of my life has been spent managing Huichun Hall; this Hall is my pond. When you wanted me to leave the old location, leaving could indeed grant me freedom. In the end, although I left, I was so accustomed to this world that I created a new pond to confine myself."

Gu Houyi was dumbfounded with a smile; wasn't he the same?

All his youth and passion were spent on Changxing. After leaving Changxing, he could relinquish everything and enjoy the rare freedom, yet he chose to head to Kangjian. He said it was to continue contributing, but what was the real reason? He was used to this life; he enjoyed management and authority.

Gu Houyi asked, "Is Mr. Xu worried about being constrained by the system?"

Xu Changshan shook his head, "As long as one is alive, everyone is subject to constraints. I just suddenly feel that such a place isn't suitable for me. The more friends you have, the more grief from partings you endure. I don't have much time left and don't want to add to my sorrow."

Gu Houyi nodded, understanding what Xu Changshan was thinking, not wanting to force him, he smiled and said, "If you change your mind, please feel free to contact me. As long as I am at Kangjian, you are always welcome."

Xu Changshan thanked Gu Houyi for his regard and saw him out.

As Xu Changshan turned back into Huichun Hall, a booming voice came from behind, "Is Mr. Xu here?"

From the voice, Xu Changshan recognized it was Elder Qiao, whom he had met by chance yesterday, and hurried out to greet him.

Elder Qiao indeed came to deliver traditional Chinese medicine to him. Yesterday, when he was driving Xu Changshan and his grandson back home, there was a minor collision, and as a result, half a bag of Xu Changshan's traditional Chinese medicine was left in his car. Today, Elder Qiao made a special trip to return it.

Xu Changshan said, "Elder Qiao, why did you make a special trip?"

Elder Qiao smiled and said, "You're a traditional Chinese medicine doctor. Those herbs are for treating illnesses and saving lives. I'm worried about delaying your use of them."

Xu Changshan took the traditional Chinese medicine from the hands of the driver Xiaowu and invited Elder Qiao to the backyard for some tea.

Elder Qiao didn't have much to do, so he let Xiaowu wait for him outside.

Elder Qiao was quite interested in Xu Changshan's little garden. There were some plants he didn't recognize, so he asked for guidance and discovered that Xu Changshan had planted quite a number of medicinal herbs in the small garden.

In his leisure time, Elder Qiao also enjoyed tending to bonsai. The two exchanged insights and found a lot in common.

Xu Changshan asked Elder Qiao what kind of tea he liked to drink.

Elder Qiao expressed a preference for some ripe Pu'er tea. Xu Changshan happened to have some ripe Pu'er tea from Xianhong Tea Factory, gifted to him by his grandson. He boiled water to make tea.

Elder Qiao glanced at the packaging of the tea leaves and asked with a smile, "Where did you buy this tea?"

Xu Changshan replied, "Elder Qiao, have you had it before?"

Elder Qiao shook his head and said, "No, I haven't seen it available on the market, which is why I'm curious."

Xu Changshan said, "This tea is a gift from my grandson, from a friend of his who runs a farm on Weishan Island."

Elder Qiao's eyes lit up, "Weishan Island? You mean the small island in Weishan Lake?"

Xu Changshan nodded.

Elder Qiao said, "That place doesn't produce Pu'er tea, does it?"

Xu Changshan laughed heartily, washing the tea and saying, "Of course not. His friend contracted a tea plantation in Dian Nan; the tea is made there and just branded with the farm's label."

He used tea tweezers to present the heated tea cup in front of Elder Qiao and then poured tea for him.

Elder Qiao brought his index and middle fingers together, tapping twice on the tea table. This gesture is a tea-drinking etiquette, representing excessive politeness and a gesture of respect for hard work. This finger-tapping ritual is one of the most common in tea culture, used between people of equal status.

If a junior or subordinate pours tea for oneself, typically, one finger is tapped twice to show respect and acknowledge hard work.

If a senior or leader pours tea for oneself, the highest level of finger-tapping ritual should be used, with five fingers clenched into a fist, then knocking down on the tea table, which signifies utter respect and humility. This is the highest form of finger-tapping gesture.

Elder Qiao and Xu Changshan interacted as equals, so they used the first type of finger-tapping ritual.

Both took a sip of tea at the same time, and Xu Changshan asked, "How is it?"

Elder Qiao smiled and said, "Ripe Pu'er typically emphasizes thickness, smoothness, glutinous quality, age, and mellow taste. This tea of yours meets four of these qualities; the tea liquid has a substantial feel, representing thickness; it's smooth and non-astringent, reflecting smoothness; the tea's viscosity is excellent, showing its glutinous quality; and it has a mellow taste without foreign or off-flavors, only lacking in age."

Xu Changshan felt deeply impressed, "Elder Qiao, you're truly a master of tea. I've been drinking tea for decades and still haven't reached the threshold compared to you."

Elder Qiao laughed, "You're too modest. Tea was discovered by the Shennong Clan while tasting hundreds of herbs. According to Lu Yu in 'The Classic of Tea', tea as a drink originated with the Shennong Clan. The Shennong Clan is also the ancestral figure of your traditional Chinese medicine, so there are countless tea masters within traditional Chinese medicine."

Xu Changshan chuckled, "Elder Qiao, you indeed have profound knowledge. The Shennong Clan is certainly the progenitor of our Chinese herbal medicine, but not of traditional Chinese medicine."

Elder Qiao put down his tea cup, and Xu Changshan filled it up for him again; Elder Qiao continued with the tea-tapping ritual.

Elder Qiao said, "I've always thought traditional Chinese medicine was also founded by the Shennong Clan. Please enlighten me, Mr. Xu."

Xu Changshan explained, "In our traditional Chinese medicine, we can subdivide it into pharmacology and medicine. The progenitor of Chinese pharmacology is indeed the Shennong Clan, as you mentioned. However, the progenitor of traditional Chinese medicine is Qi Bo. Qi Bo was the most esteemed medical expert of ancient times, a renowned figure in Daoism, and proficient in the art of medicine and pulse theory. Later generations honor him as the progenitor of traditional Chinese medicine in Chinese culture. It is said that 'The Basic Questions' in the Inner Canon of Huangdi is essentially conversations between the Yellow Emperor asking questions and Qi Bo answering, elaborating on medical theories. Qi Bo's medical prowess was profound. Traditional Chinese medicine is also known as Qi Huang or the art of Qi Huang. Qi refers to Qi Bo, and Huang refers to the Emperor."

Elder Qiao suddenly realized and raised his cup in respect, "Listening to your words is more rewarding than studying for ten years."

Xu Changshan humbly said, "Each field has its specialization. You are someone who does great things, while I have devoted my entire life to traditional Chinese medicine."

Elder Qiao replied, "In one's lifetime, accomplishing one thing well is already quite challenging. I've always believed the most noble profession in this world is being a doctor. In the eyes of a doctor, regardless of wealth, status, or personal likes or dislikes, the primary thought should be to save lives."